Tellurian.



D. F. NIGKOLS.

'IBLLURIAN. APPLICATION FILED DBO. 19,1908;

Patented Nov. 16,1909.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL F. NICKOLS, OF LINCOLN, ILLINOIS.

TELLUBIAN.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL F. NICKOLS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lincoln, in the county of Logan, State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Tellurians; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to educational devices designed to impart aknowledge of astronomy, more particularly to imparting knowledge of themovements of the earth relative to the sun, and has for one of itsobjects to simplify and improve the construction and increase theefficiency and utility of devices of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simply constructeddevice whereby the inclination of the earths axis, the parallelism ofthe earths axis and the revolution of the earth about the sun may bereadily and graphically illustrated.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction as hereafter shown and described and thenspecifically pointed out in the claim, and in the drawings illustrativeof the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a plan view ofthe improved device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is aperspective view, enlarged, of the day circle device.

The improved device is designed to illustrate the different positions ofthe earth relative to the sun at difierent periods of time throughoutthe year, and likewise to illustrate the day circle or the position ofthe illumined and darkened limbs or halves of the earth at differentperiods of time.

The improved device comprises a base or support 10, which may be of anyrequired size and of any suitable material, and it is not desiredtherefore to limit the improved device to any particular size or to anyparticular material for this portion of the structure. The larger thebase portion, the better for the pupil and the instructor.

Located upon the base 10 is an elliptical line 11 representing the orbitof the earth, and located within this orbit is a representation of thesun, the object employed for the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 19, 1908.

Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

Serial No. 468,386.

purpose of illustration represented by a ball 12, of any suitablematerial, and preferably detachably mounted upon a stud 13. The stud 13is located at one side of the center of the longest axis of the ellipse,the shorter distance between the stud and the end of the orbital ellipserepresenting the distance between the earth and the sun at the wintersolstice, which is approximately 91,500,000 miles, andthe distancebetween the stud and the opposite end of the longer axis of the ellipserepresenting the distance of the sun from the earth at the summersolstice, which is approximately about 94,500,000 miles, and thesenumerals are preferably arranged upon the base within the ellipse, asshown.

Projecting from the base 10 approximately at opposite ends of the longeraxis of the ellipse are studs 1415, and likewise located near the endsof the shorter axis of the ellipse are similar studs 1617, the studs 1l-151617 being inclined at an angle of about degrees to theperpendicular and parallel to the longitudinal plane of the greater axisof the ellipse, this inclination corresponding to the inclination of theearth, as is well known.

Adjacent to the stud 15 the words Perihelion, I Vinter solstice,December 21st are printed or otherwiseplaced, while the words Aphelion,Summer solstice, June 21st are printed or otherwise placed near the stud1 1. The words Autumnal equinox, September 22nd are printed or otherwiseplaced adjacent to the stud 16, while the words Vernal equinox, March21st are printed or otherwise placed adjacent to the stud 17.

A small globular figure 18 is employed to represent the earth and ispreferably provided with the usual longitudinal and latitudinal linesand adapted to be detachably engaged with the inclined studs, torepresent the location of the earth relative to the sun at differentperiods of its orbit. Thus when the globe 18 is located upon the stud 11 and rotated, the relative location of the earth to the sun on the 21stof June will be graphically shown. Then if the globe 18 be transferredto the stud 16 and rotated, the position of the earth relative to thesun on the 22nd of September will be likewise graphically illustrated,and the relative location of the earth to the sun on the 21st ofDecember and the 21st of March may be likewise graphically illustrated,by locating the globe 18 on the studs 1517, as will be obvious.

To illustrate the day circle or the illumined and darkened limbs orhalves of the earth, a plate 19 is provided having a central aperturepreferably corresponding to the diameter of the globe 18 and locatedupon the base 10 at right angles thereto, with the central aperturemidway of the globe as shown. One of these plates 19 may be employed foreach of the studs 14E1G l517, or one of the plates only may be providedand arranged to be moved from place to place as required. Thus when theplate 19 is located relative to the globe upon the stud 14, the daycircle will clearly and graphically illustrate the fact that the longestday is north of the equator and the shortest day south of the equator,and then by arranging the plate 19 adjacent to the stud 15 andtransferring the globe 18 to the stud 15, the plate representing the daycircle will illustrate the fact that the shortest day is north of theequator and the longest day south of the equator, which will occur onthe 21st of December.

By locating the plate 19 adjacent to the studs 16 or 17 and placing theglobe 18 upon either of these studs, the plate which represents the daycircle will graphically illustrate'the fact that the days and nights areequal when the earth reaches these points in its orbit, or on September21st and March 21st, as will be obvious.

It will be understood that any required number of the inclined studs maybe employed upon the base at required points upon the orbital line 11,to denote the relation of the earth to the sun at any period of timeduring the year, but it is not considered necessary to show a greaternumber of the inclined studs.

The improved device is simple in construction, can be inexpensivelymanufactured, and employed in educational institutions of various kinds,as may be required.

What is claimed, is

A device of the class described comprising a base member having thereonan elliptical line representing the orbit of the earth, a plurality ofstuds projecting from said base member upon said orbital line andinclined substantially in the same plane as the longer axis of theearth, a representation of the sun located upon said base Within saidorbital line, a globular member representing the earth and adapted to bedetachably arranged rotatively upon said inclined studs, spaced pinslocated upon said base adjacent to said inclined pins, and an annularmember adapted to inclose the globular representation of the earth andwith a lateral offset provided with perforations adapted to engage oversaid spaced pins.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

DANIEL F. NIOKOLS.

lVitnesses CHARLES R. DEMMITT,

MAX. W. GALLAGHER.

